Hey Big John, I attacked them as they landed before they had a chance to beseige at settlement.

One of the best battles I've had in Rome total war. Outnumbered almost 2:1 with mostly militia hopilites and hetaroi and the really bad skirmishers the makedonians get. I know the hetaroi would be the key. 5 groups of them including my general (faction leader). I knew they were my only chance. I quickly elimanted their light cavalry with my hetarois. There phalanx line advanced and met mine. (note they kept realitively good formation-better AI?). I pounded there more numerous (and better) infantry with my hetarois in the charge and retreat fasion. I broke some of there units but were never able to achieve a mass rout. Meanwhile hetaroi casaulities mounted (they were being bombarded by peltasts too). Finally my weakened left flank collapsed (one unit had taken heavy casualties in pervious battles broke) leading quickly to a mass route with my phalanx line. I sacrificed two skirmisher units and continued to pound them with my cavalry. 2 hetarois broke and my general nearly died killing the enemy general who stayed back the entire battle (it was a last ditch effort by me win. Two skirmisher units were annihilated holding the enemy from killing my routed phalanx line but some of hopilites were able to escape plus 2 damaged hetaroi groups and my general. Overall not a bad battle killed 75% more enemies than lost despite routing and more importantly there 4 or 5 star faction heir.

They seiged my garrison at sparta but the remnants of my army and the garrison sallied and defeated there army with not too bad casualites